Heather Nye, an Outreach Intern from the National Home Security Alliance, Staysafe.org asked me if i would post this article on Starting and growing a Neighborhood Watch. My 30 years as a police officer I always loved working with the community. In today's current climate where there are a lot of misunderstandings and often times mistrust of police I feel that groups like the neighborhood watch is a great way to build mutual trust between the people and the police.

“While improvements in policing have usually resulted from revelations of wrongdoing or the documentation of inadequacies, it does not follow that public dissatisfaction has always produced change. With monotonous regularity, peaks of interest in the police have been followed at both national and local levels by the appointment of a group of citizens to examine the specific problem that has surfaced and to make recommendations for dealing with it. In the heat of the moment the appointment of such a group has often, by itself, been sufficient to reduce public anxiety.

Another great show and my 3rd visit with Jon and Pete from the Break It Down Show as we discuss what helps us to better understand policing, how and why we do it. Seriously great show, Jon and Pete are incredible interviewers and we have a LOT of ground to cover still Check out the show, and as always, please do share.

Defining the path to community policing is based on Sir Robert Peels, nine key principles of policing he offered up back in 1829. When reading these I cannot help but think all the time we in policing spend trying to re-invent the wheel of sound ethical, fair and impartial policing when all we really need to do is adapt what already exists to the current climate.

Principle 1 – “The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder.”

The fundamental objectives of policing (also referred to as the mission of the police or the core functions of policing) are the ultimate purposes for which police agencies have been created. Goldstein was one of a number of scholars who recognized and articulated the breadth and complexity of the police mission. He synthesized the understanding of the multiple objectives of the police in his seminal work; Policing a Free Society, a precursor to his writings on problem oriented policing.

America’s greatest attribute is freedom. People have fought and died defending freedom. I am not just speaking of those that serve or have served in the military. I am also speaking of those fellow citizens standing up for individual rights, laid out in the United States Constitution. In policing a free society it is important that police never lose sight of and stay committed to Democratic values. That while we defend the homelands people from crime and disorder, we at the same time must uphold that which is dearest to us, the United States Constitution and what it attributes to freedom.

The fundamental objectives of policing (also referred to as the mission of the police or the core functions of policing) are the ultimate purposes for which police agencies have been created. Goldstein was one of a number of scholars who recognized and articulated the breadth and complexity of the police mission. He synthesized his understanding of the multiple objectives of the police in his seminal work, Policing a Free Society, a precursor to his writings on problem oriented policing.

“Policing is one of America’s most noble professions. The actions of any officer, in an instant, can impact an individual for life and even a community for generations. Given this realization, every police officer must be centered on what is important. Service, Justice, Fundamental Fairness. These are the foundational principles in which every police action must be grounded. The nobility of policing demands the noblest of character. ”Steven R. Covey

"In order to make the police function more workable ,to reduce the conflicting pressures on the police, and to assure that future investments in police improvement will bring greater return, we must go back to fundamentals. We must rethink widely held assumptions regarding police function; recognize the discretion inherent in police work; and establish the values basic to policing.